The Disciple

The duke strode through the long halls of the Ashter mansion, the resounding echo of his heavy steps bouncing off the tall, weathered walls. The eerie quietude of the place was gradually becoming overwhelming when a sudden cacophony of incoherent noises reached his ears from one of the rooms at the far end of the second floor.

Damien paused, contemplating whether he should investigate the source of the commotion. However, the subsequent sound of a woman's shrill shouting swiftly made up his mind. He briskly made his way towards the open room at the end of the corridor, where he witnessed Raphael violently yanking a maid by her hair, her tear-streaked face already bearing the marks of prior abuse.

And in that moment, he recognized the maid from the day he had rescued Rosalie from the carriage accident in the capital's shopping district.

"You useless bitch! So Rosalie has been secretly meeting that scoundrel Damien Dio, and you never reported it to me? Do you want to die?!"